Rwanda: ¨summary execution is a Government’s policy

There is no single week we do not hear about people gunned down in police stations, public places or in their homes. The police is endlessly investigating but in most cases the story ends there. We have no doubt any more that those summary executions are a government’s policy. The highest authorities of the country, including President Paul Kagame, said “ we will not hesitate to shoot our enemies in broad daylight”. The National Movement Inkubiri believes that those state crimes are crimes against humanity.

On 18 August 2016, the Rwanda National Police informed the public that it has pursued and shot dead an armed terror suspect Channy Mbonigaba in a Kigali suburb Nyarutarama.

Friday, 19 August 2016, the Rwanda National Police shot and killed three suspected terrorists in a targeted Police operation in Bugarama Sector of Rusizi District.

On 20 August, two more people were killed in Rusizi district in a so called “crackdown on terror”.

In its 20 August 2016 edition, the EastAfrican wrote: “the shooting of Mbonigaba follows the January shooting of Muhammad Mugemangango, a deputy imam of Kimironko Mosque, who police said was attempting to flee after he had been arrested on suspicion of terrorism”.

Doctor Emmanuel Gasakure, a long serving personal doctor of President Kagame and his family was killed in Remera police station on 25 February 2015. That was only 6 weeks after he was allegedly fired by President Kagame. Reporting the incident, a police spokesperson Chief Supt Celestin Twahirwa said in a statement: “Last evening at 1835h, an unfortunate incident happened at the Remera Police Station when a suspect in detention was fatally wounded during a scuffle with a police officer on guard duty”.

Why are we accusing the government?

While addressing residents of Nyabihu District on 5 June 2014, President Kagame said:

“We will continue to arrest suspects and when needed shoot in broad daylight those threatening to destabilise the country”. All bets went off, as of late this statement was again and constantly echoed by the Defence Minister, the Minister for Local government, and Army commandants.

On top of those calls to shoot the enemies, Minister Francis Kaboneka said on 30 August 2016: “You have to know people who are accommodated in your village or cell and what they do. You have to leave here with a pledge of knowing what is taking place in every house”.

Many officials have been repeatedly making blood calls aiming to suggest that Rwanda is at war against an unnamed internal enemy. I.e. “we will shoot those idiots (Minister Francis Kaboneka), “we will not welcome our enemies” (Lieutenant Colonel Frank Mutembe, Gasabo military sector commander); “there are many ways to kill ants, before you need a hammer” (ACP Bosco Rangira, Kigali police boss), etc…

We call upon the government of Paul Kagame to do its utmost to put an end to those threats and subsequent summary executions. We call upon independent human rights bodies to investigate those state orchestrated assassinations.